Mariano Arista

Mariano Arista (26 July 1802-7 August 1855) was President of Mexico from January 1851 to January 1853.

Biography
Jose Mariano Martin Buenaventura Ignacio Nepomuceno Garcia de Arista Nunez was born in San Luis Potosi and was originally an officer of the Spanish Army, and although he originally fought for the royalists during the Mexican War of Independence, he later served President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Arista was a veteran of the Texan War of Independence and became a Brigadier General in the Mexican Army during the Mexican-American War of 1846, but because he was a Liberal and his general's staff were conservatives, his staff members could not work to their potential. After a defeat at the Battle of Palo Alto on 8 May 1846 and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma a day later, he was relieved of command and was a functionary for the rest of the war.

In 1851 he succeeded Jose Joaquin de Herrera as President of Mexico but conservatives overthrew him on January 6, 1853, in an anti-Liberal revolt. In 1855 he died on a voyage from Lisbon to France on English steamer Tagus at the age of 53. In 1880 he was named a national hero by the Liberals.